The police came around last night and told me my dogs were chasing people on bikes. I told the officer that my dogs don’t even have bikes. -Unknown

Welcome to “Caught My Eye” (CME)!

CME is the once a week column that is posted here every Friday morning. This is when I take a look at some of the stories I did not have time to write about during the week. There may be some sarcasm and pointed independent commentary so be warned!

Here are the topics that “Caught My Eye” this week:

• Fair Care for Vietnam Vets Act
• Judge Greg Pinski
• Cognitive Tests
• Fox News Polls
• One More Thing

FAIR CARE FOR VIETNAM VETS ACT:

Applause to U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) for getting the Fair Care for Vietnam Vets Act included in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The legislation will expand the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) list of medical conditions associated with exposure to Agent Orange to include Parkinsonism, bladder cancer, hypertension, and hypothyroidism – health conditions that each meet the historical standard for being added to the VA’s presumptive list for service-connection as it relates to Agent Orange exposure.

Tester’s amendment was passed overwhelmingly by the Senate with a vote of 94-6. The NDAA passed the Senate Thursday 86-14. The House passed their version of the NDAA 295 to 125.

Now the Senate and House will get together to iron out their differences in the massive bill.

JUDGE GREG PINSKI:

Cascade County District Court Judge Greg Pinski is resigning from his seat effective October 2. He is going into private practice.

Pinski was recently re-elected to his second six-year term in 2018, which means he still has a little over four years left. The Great Falls Tribune reported that Pinski leaves behind a docket of around 1,200 cases.

This leaves the Cascade County District Court in a pickle, as there’s a process to go through to name a successor.

I’ve never been to Pinski’s court for any situation. I’ve written about him a few times. Back in 2016, I wrote that although Pinski had been a judge for just a few years, it seems to me that he craves publicity and attention. I also said in a later column that probably the most dangerous place to be in the Cascade County courthouse is between Pinski and a camera.

He made the rounds with the local media after the announcement that he was quitting. I would expect nothing less, but after October 2 what’s he going to do for publicity?

COGNITIVE TESTS:

President Donald Trump claims he is smarter than Joe Biden because he took a cognitive test and could remember the following five words:

Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV.

I bet that after “Woman” Trump wanted to say “And I just grab her by the…”

Here in 2020, we’re talking about cognitive tests for Presidential candidates. Can you believe it?

Maybe we need to add as one of the requirements to be President a maximum age, too.

FOX NEWS POLLS:

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump in the battleground states of Michigan, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania, according to Fox News statewide registered voter surveys.

In Michigan, Biden is up 49-40 percent. In Minnesota, Biden leads 51-38 percent. In Pennsylvania, Biden leads 50-39 percent.

Reminder: This is a Fox News poll.

ONE MORE THING:

A Long Island criminal defendant named Robert Berger tried faking his death to avoid a jail sentence, but the phony death certificate his lawyer submitted had a glaring spelling error that made it a dead giveaway for a fraud, prosecutors said Tuesday. (AP)

The spelling error had “Registry” spelled “Regsitry.”

Berger, who is 25, now faces up to four years in prison if convicted in the alleged scheme.

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